The readings - Days 82 and 83 - Judges 13-16
So in the interest of full disclosure, I'm veering away from the actual reading chunks delineated by my reading program, which has chapters 13-15 on day 82 and 16-18 on day 83. Since 13-16 is the story of Samson, and an ending of sorts within the book of Judges, it just makes more sense to be to break it up this way.
Anyway, moving on.
If you run a Google image search for "Samson," here are three images that show up at the top of the list:
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Judges 8-12 - on civil wars and kids as collateral
The readings - Days 80 and 81 - Judges 8-12
Hooray! All caught up!
*one small note, because it may give insight into why I get behind in this thing. When I started this post (yes, the one link and that one line) it was around 10:45 p.m. and I was ready to go. I then spent the next two hours reading about pirates on the Internet. I will now type a sentence that is simultaneously genuine/heartfelt and bitter/sarcastic. Thanks a lot, Internet.
So... Judges, eh? Israel still generally sucks at remembering/following the rules, which by now shouldn't come as a huge surprise. However, what does come as something of a surprise (although maybe this shouldn't either) is how bad they seem to be at just getting along with each other. Once you get borders and factions involved in a nation, there's bound to be conflict, I suppose, but it just seems like the whole country is one or two tequila shooters away from ripping itself to pieces in a civil war.
Hooray! All caught up!
*one small note, because it may give insight into why I get behind in this thing. When I started this post (yes, the one link and that one line) it was around 10:45 p.m. and I was ready to go. I then spent the next two hours reading about pirates on the Internet. I will now type a sentence that is simultaneously genuine/heartfelt and bitter/sarcastic. Thanks a lot, Internet.
So... Judges, eh? Israel still generally sucks at remembering/following the rules, which by now shouldn't come as a huge surprise. However, what does come as something of a surprise (although maybe this shouldn't either) is how bad they seem to be at just getting along with each other. Once you get borders and factions involved in a nation, there's bound to be conflict, I suppose, but it just seems like the whole country is one or two tequila shooters away from ripping itself to pieces in a civil war.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Judges 1-7 - Times have changed. Or not.
The readings - Days 77-79 - Judges 1-7
I suppose there's something worth addressing, now that we're in the books of the Old Testament normally categorized under the heading of "history."
While these works contain decidedly more detailed and intentionally historical documentation of events, etc, and therefore ought to be treated as more accurately depicting events/people/places/etc than other portions of the OT (IE the Psalms or bits of the Pentateuch), there's something that still strikes as odd about using these books in the same way that we would use a modern history text.
I suppose there's something worth addressing, now that we're in the books of the Old Testament normally categorized under the heading of "history."
While these works contain decidedly more detailed and intentionally historical documentation of events, etc, and therefore ought to be treated as more accurately depicting events/people/places/etc than other portions of the OT (IE the Psalms or bits of the Pentateuch), there's something that still strikes as odd about using these books in the same way that we would use a modern history text.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Joshua 16-24 - Of altars and over-reactions...
The readings - Days 74-76 - Joshua 16-24
And the catch-up continues... We're just going to close out Joshua, because the first two of the remaining three days were more geographical specifications, which would normally interest me, but not really knowing any of these places gives no frame of reference. I'm sure it's all fascinating though. Maybe.
Chapter 22, however, is interesting.
And the catch-up continues... We're just going to close out Joshua, because the first two of the remaining three days were more geographical specifications, which would normally interest me, but not really knowing any of these places gives no frame of reference. I'm sure it's all fascinating though. Maybe.
Chapter 22, however, is interesting.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Joshua 9-15 - Take my Worf... please!
The readings - days 72 and 73 - Joshua 9-15
Allow me to begin, as many good things do, with Worf talking.
Now, I'm not wanting to sound too over-the-top or anything, but in this clip, Worf reminds me a lot of God.
Allow me to begin, as many good things do, with Worf talking.
Now, I'm not wanting to sound too over-the-top or anything, but in this clip, Worf reminds me a lot of God.
Joshua 1-8 - Water and other hazards
The readings - days 70 and 71 - Joshua 1-8
Look at me, just ripping along with the readings and neglecting the tens of readers that are following along. Shame on me. Apologies to everyone, and I'll try to keep up a bit better.
In fact, when I started writing this post, I had intended to just catch up, but 15 chapters is just too many, so I'm going to take it two days' readings at a time until I'm caught up. Hope that's okay.
Look at me, just ripping along with the readings and neglecting the tens of readers that are following along. Shame on me. Apologies to everyone, and I'll try to keep up a bit better.
In fact, when I started writing this post, I had intended to just catch up, but 15 chapters is just too many, so I'm going to take it two days' readings at a time until I'm caught up. Hope that's okay.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Deut 24-34 - And that, as they say in France, is that
The readings - Days 66-69 - Deuteronomy 24-34
Is it fair to just clump the entire last 10 chapters of Deuteronomy - indeed, the closing chapters of the epic Pentateuch - into one post, and a comparatively short one at that?
Probably not.
But, as I tell myself to further justify the decision that has already been made to do just that, that's the way it is. I have never been overly concerning myself with the notion of making exhaustive commentary on every little thing in each reading, so I feel like giving a cursory nod to the conclusion of a book that has been itself largely focused on reiterating the message and details of previous books is probably acceptable.
Is it fair to just clump the entire last 10 chapters of Deuteronomy - indeed, the closing chapters of the epic Pentateuch - into one post, and a comparatively short one at that?
Probably not.
But, as I tell myself to further justify the decision that has already been made to do just that, that's the way it is. I have never been overly concerning myself with the notion of making exhaustive commentary on every little thing in each reading, so I feel like giving a cursory nod to the conclusion of a book that has been itself largely focused on reiterating the message and details of previous books is probably acceptable.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Deut 21-23 - I guess it's a good book that can make you this mad...
The readings - Day 65 - Deuteronomy 21-23
Without wanting to sound tired and make people bored, can I just say how inexpressibly thankful I am that society does not follow Old Testament laws as a model for how 21st-century Canada should run?
That may sound overly broad, but I have never been more convicted in that statement than I am today. Yes, there are many laws in the OT that would greatly benefit people in this day and age (regular forgiveness of debts, obligatory help for the underprivileged, respecting the property of those around you, not murdering each other, etc)... Then there's this one:
Without wanting to sound tired and make people bored, can I just say how inexpressibly thankful I am that society does not follow Old Testament laws as a model for how 21st-century Canada should run?
That may sound overly broad, but I have never been more convicted in that statement than I am today. Yes, there are many laws in the OT that would greatly benefit people in this day and age (regular forgiveness of debts, obligatory help for the underprivileged, respecting the property of those around you, not murdering each other, etc)... Then there's this one:
Monday, March 12, 2012
Deut. 17-20 - Occupy Ancient Israel
The readings - Day 64 - Deuteronomy 17-20
So we're still trucking away with all the laws, etc, but there remain those merciful gems of interest scattered here and there.
Take, for instance, the stuff about setting up a king, talked about in chapter 17. Having spent a lot of time reading Judges over the years, I always had the impression that the whole "Israel wants to have a king" thing was a fairly new phenomenon - something that had arisen at around the time that the events in Judges were taking place.
Seems that (and for the record I'm not surprised by this) God saw it all coming. He outlined for Israel what type of king they should have, and the details are fascinating:
So we're still trucking away with all the laws, etc, but there remain those merciful gems of interest scattered here and there.
Take, for instance, the stuff about setting up a king, talked about in chapter 17. Having spent a lot of time reading Judges over the years, I always had the impression that the whole "Israel wants to have a king" thing was a fairly new phenomenon - something that had arisen at around the time that the events in Judges were taking place.
Seems that (and for the record I'm not surprised by this) God saw it all coming. He outlined for Israel what type of king they should have, and the details are fascinating:
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Deut 11-16 - FACT: God loves a party
The readings - Days 62 and 63 - Deuteronomy 11-16
...And the dilemma continues. I'm still more or less enjoying Deuteronomy, and the chapters are just whizzing by, largely because they're a little like deja vu, with a lot of repetition.
Now, though, it seems that we're getting into the meat of the book. That's good.
However, the "meat" of the book is starting to closely resemble Leviticus, what with all the laws, regulations and details. That's bad. Well... not bad... I think you know what I mean.
There were two things that struck me over the past two days of reading, though.
...And the dilemma continues. I'm still more or less enjoying Deuteronomy, and the chapters are just whizzing by, largely because they're a little like deja vu, with a lot of repetition.
Now, though, it seems that we're getting into the meat of the book. That's good.
However, the "meat" of the book is starting to closely resemble Leviticus, what with all the laws, regulations and details. That's bad. Well... not bad... I think you know what I mean.
There were two things that struck me over the past two days of reading, though.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Deut. 5-10 - so far, so good
The readings - Days 60-61 - Deuteronomy 5-10
So Deuteronomy is progressing...
I'm in an interesting position, because I can't think of a time over the last 60 days when I've felt less motivated to actually make a new post.
It's not because I'm not enjoying the book itself, mind you, because I am, but it's mostly just because so far the book has consisted of nothing but recap from Moses to Israel, so apart from the occasional minor discrepancy between the original account and Moses' retelling, there's just not a lot of new ground to cover.
So Deuteronomy is progressing...
I'm in an interesting position, because I can't think of a time over the last 60 days when I've felt less motivated to actually make a new post.
It's not because I'm not enjoying the book itself, mind you, because I am, but it's mostly just because so far the book has consisted of nothing but recap from Moses to Israel, so apart from the occasional minor discrepancy between the original account and Moses' retelling, there's just not a lot of new ground to cover.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Deut 1-4 - Wait... what?
The readings - Days 58-59 - Deuteronomy 1-4
I hope I don't jinx it by speaking too soon or anything, but Deuteronomy's not half bad... But yeah, I know I'm done 4 of 34 chapters, so a lot can still happen.
It's got a different... feel... about it than Numbers or Leviticus had. It's somehow (so far) more conversational and less "all-business". We get a four-chapter re-cap to open the book, but it doesn't feel like you're just re-reading things you've already read, because it's Moses speaking. He's telling the Israelites' story back to them. And fair enough, considering how, unlike the preceding two books, this one starts after they're already done their time in the wilderness. He's speaking to the brand new generation that's finally allowed to go in to the Promised Land, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua.
The question of authorship in the Bible has rarely interested me, really. I usually just find it a distraction, and rarely actually contributes to any deeper understanding of the text itself.
I hope I don't jinx it by speaking too soon or anything, but Deuteronomy's not half bad... But yeah, I know I'm done 4 of 34 chapters, so a lot can still happen.
It's got a different... feel... about it than Numbers or Leviticus had. It's somehow (so far) more conversational and less "all-business". We get a four-chapter re-cap to open the book, but it doesn't feel like you're just re-reading things you've already read, because it's Moses speaking. He's telling the Israelites' story back to them. And fair enough, considering how, unlike the preceding two books, this one starts after they're already done their time in the wilderness. He's speaking to the brand new generation that's finally allowed to go in to the Promised Land, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua.
The question of authorship in the Bible has rarely interested me, really. I usually just find it a distraction, and rarely actually contributes to any deeper understanding of the text itself.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Num 53-36 - It's finally over
The readings - Day 57 - Number 35-36
Well, that's it - Numbers is done. I will say this for it: it defied expectations, and that is meant in both positive and negative lights...
On the plus side, there actually were some narrative interludes which I wasn't expecting, so that was good - provided a good break from the statistical ramblings in the rest of the book, and some of the stories were genuinely interesting and well worth reading.
On the other hand, a book of statistics and figures, while boring, is likely to be fairly middle-of-the-road and not hugely incendiary or offensive. Numbers wasn't. It was occasionally boring, to put it mildly, but it was an incredibly challenging read in places, on a variety of levels.
Well, that's it - Numbers is done. I will say this for it: it defied expectations, and that is meant in both positive and negative lights...
On the plus side, there actually were some narrative interludes which I wasn't expecting, so that was good - provided a good break from the statistical ramblings in the rest of the book, and some of the stories were genuinely interesting and well worth reading.
On the other hand, a book of statistics and figures, while boring, is likely to be fairly middle-of-the-road and not hugely incendiary or offensive. Numbers wasn't. It was occasionally boring, to put it mildly, but it was an incredibly challenging read in places, on a variety of levels.
Num 31-34 - what is it good for?
The readings - Days 55-56 - Numbers 31-34
I heard on the radio not too long ago an interview with an author who was expounding on a theory that humans as a species were getting less and less violent as time goes by.
My initial reaction was to think that considering the last century was the bloodiest in history he may not be entirely right about that, but on a deeper level I think he's on to something.
These chapters in Numbers suck, and maybe they do so because I am a product of an inherently less violent age where the idea of a people of God mercilessly slaughtering an entire civilization, and then being told off for sparing the women and children, is one that steadfastly refuses to sit well.
It's interesting what that says about society as I experience it - safe, secure and utterly peaceful. It's not that academically I don't know that war and violence have not, at other times in history and in other places around the world today, been inextricably linked to everyday life. Neither do I necessarily subscribe to a blanket pacifism that writes off any potential need for acts of violence or war.
However, this story just doesn't jive with anything I believe about God. It's this kind of thing that, I think, offers one of the very, very few justifications for the still-weird dualistic belief in an Old-Testament-God and a New-Testament-God.
I heard on the radio not too long ago an interview with an author who was expounding on a theory that humans as a species were getting less and less violent as time goes by.
My initial reaction was to think that considering the last century was the bloodiest in history he may not be entirely right about that, but on a deeper level I think he's on to something.
These chapters in Numbers suck, and maybe they do so because I am a product of an inherently less violent age where the idea of a people of God mercilessly slaughtering an entire civilization, and then being told off for sparing the women and children, is one that steadfastly refuses to sit well.
It's interesting what that says about society as I experience it - safe, secure and utterly peaceful. It's not that academically I don't know that war and violence have not, at other times in history and in other places around the world today, been inextricably linked to everyday life. Neither do I necessarily subscribe to a blanket pacifism that writes off any potential need for acts of violence or war.
However, this story just doesn't jive with anything I believe about God. It's this kind of thing that, I think, offers one of the very, very few justifications for the still-weird dualistic belief in an Old-Testament-God and a New-Testament-God.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Num 26-30 - In which I compare Van Halen to God
The readings - Days 53-54 - Numbers 26-30
Funny how when I fall behind in posting about Numbers, it tends to correspond with the times when Numbers decides to completely abandon narrative and story and revert back to that which earned it its name...
I swear it's not on purpose - it just happens that way.
Anyway, on days 53 and 54, Numbers did just that, and we're back with *drum roll* another census!
Funny how when I fall behind in posting about Numbers, it tends to correspond with the times when Numbers decides to completely abandon narrative and story and revert back to that which earned it its name...
I swear it's not on purpose - it just happens that way.
Anyway, on days 53 and 54, Numbers did just that, and we're back with *drum roll* another census!
Sure, traditionally it was Moses, but I say the author(s) of most of Numbers were these guys...
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